How big is your Anchor???

One of the best fishermen in my area never anchors. Life baiting drifting or slow trolling.

Wednesday night fishing

Simi 60 said:

Try fishing and anchoring without a hook.
Report back with results.

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I tried that last night, didn't get disappointed, and caught a nice buzz watching the sun set!. thanks for the advice

Hello All,

Thanks for all the input and data. I decided to go with a SARCA Excel anchor #8 (40kg, 88lbs), have installed it on the boat and it looks great!!! Have not had the opportunity to use it yet will report back with results.

MTW said:

Hello All,

Thanks for all the input and data. I decided to go with a SARCA Excel anchor #8 (40kg, 88lbs), have installed it on the boat and it looks great!!! Have not had the opportunity to use it yet will report back with results.

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IMHO, one of the best designs out there. Good choice!

MTW said:

Hello All,

Thanks for all the input and data. I decided to go with a SARCA Excel anchor #8 (40kg, 88lbs), have installed it on the boat and it looks great!!! Have not had the opportunity to use it yet will report back with results.

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My own exact anchor! I am sure you will be very happy with it. Just had mine re-galvanized after 9 years, as I was getting the chain done. I've also just bought Sarca's solid non-swivel swivel bar but haven't had a chance to reinstall the anchor and this new component yet.

I use a light Fortress FX 23 (I think it is 23lb) with about 10' of 3/8" chain, the rest is 5/8" nylon. 38' about 14000lb. Holds well unless the bottom is flat rock (fla keys) or similar. Works great in sand and snot.

No windlass, so I have to pull it up by hand. My back would not like it to be much heavier.

Ski in NC said:

I use a light Fortress FX 23 (I think it is 23lb) with about 10' of 3/8" chain, the rest is 5/8" nylon. 38' about 14000lb. Holds well unless the bottom is flat rock (fla keys) or similar. Works great in sand and snot.

No windlass, so I have to pull it up by hand. My back would not like it to be much heavier.

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Glad to hear you have had such good luck with yours.

Last summer I pulled up a near-new FX-23 with my stern anchor in my Secret Cove.

I took it home, disassembled and cleaned it, then stored it on the boat as an extra anchor. I'll be trying it out this summer as a stern anchor. According to this site, it weighs 15# but replaces fluke anchors weighing in the 23# range (19-28#).

Monk 38 = Rocna 55# with 200’ 3/8 BBB chain no swivel. Port is 44# Bruce with 50’ chain and 200’ of line. Maxwell HC10 windlass. Life insurance paid up.

Model: Mainship 350
Length Overall:39'9"
Beam:14'2"
Weight:22,000

Rocna Vulcan: 20Kg (44lbs)
Chain: 5/16 G40 (130ft)
Swivel: Mantus (5/16 -3/8)
Line: 130 ft 5/8 3 strand
Snubbers: 5/8" 8-plait
Chain Hook: Mantus (5/16)

At least 2 instances with sustained 35 mph wind with 40 mpg gusts and slept like a baby (i.e up and down all night, fussing for no apparent reason). LOL no issues to date.

angus99 said:

Boat is 44,000 lbs “empty.” I went up two sizes over recommendation to a Manson 80 lb, figuring full fuel and water alone would increase the weight by almost 10,000 lbs.

300’ of 3/8” G4 chain.

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Well, live and learn. We measured the chain yesterday for the first time and it turns out we have 150 feet.

Hi All

We have been in the Abacos ten days now looking for Ski but the new anchor (120# Spade, yes the one painted yellow) and I’m impressed. Our boat is over 80K pounds and the chain is 3/8 Hi T. This anchors sticks in a foot or two and keeps digging in no matter the direction of pull. Ted has a Rocna and told me he drops his anchor, let’s out the rode and ties it off, no reason to set. This one is the same sans rollbar, I love it Best anchor Ive owned including an original Bruce, danforth and Boss by far.

Having fun without Ski. LOL

4 lb aluminium Fortress, on 25 ft of 3/16" galvanized proof coil chain on 150 ft of 3/8" three-strand nylon line. But it's a 25 ft, 3500 lb sailboat, and is the biggest that fits in the locker, so perhaps that's not what you really want to know about. Unless it's for your dink.

angus99 said:

Well, live and learn. We measured the chain yesterday for the first time and it turns out we have 150 feet.

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When we bought Irish Lady we had a similar surprise. The listing said 150 feet of 3/8" but it was really 105 feet with a loose bitter end. Good thing I measured it before trying to use 150.

High Wire said:

When we bought Irish Lady we had a similar surprise. The listing said 150 feet of 3/8" but it was really 105 feet with a loose bitter end. Good thing I measured it before trying to use 150.

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That’s a pisser. I just re-read the listing and I was wrong; it was supposed to be 200 ft of chain, not 300. I did want to ensure that the bitter end was secure and it is. It’s a knot of chain—maybe another 5 feet—that can’t pass through the windlass.

Ours is big enough for our purposes.

markpierce said:

Ours is big enough for our purposes.

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Ours is way too big and it still drags... perhaps technique has something to do with it [emoji10]???

Mako

Could it be the wrong product for your area?


Angus

Sounds good until it takes your windless into the water.

Bigsfish said:

Mako

Could it be the wrong product for your area?
.

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That’s what I came to conclude. Danforth trying to set on some hard substrate. I wound up having to really sharpen the flukes to get them to dig in.

My buddy with a Bruce style never has problems setting.

makobuilders said:

Ours is way too big and it still drags... perhaps technique has something to do with it [emoji10]???

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And to think I thought it only happened to me! My 40’ canvas enclosed Silverton has already given up on 55# & 88# Deltas, and now cannot trust my 80# Manson Supreme. It pulled in a 180 wind shift without resetting until I cleaned the mud from it with a boat hook.

Since then I purchased an FX55 Fortress which still sits in its shipping box. Maybe this year I will try it. DO NOT believe all the so called “new, modern anchor” BS hype.

Our 52', 83,000 lb. trawler came with two 66# Bruce anchors. As part of getting ready for our Big Adventure, we replaced one with a Rocna Vulcan (their version of the Ultra) weighing 55 kg (121 lbs). It's big, and shiny, and when it hits the sand, we stop! (OK, that's not actually how we deploy it - I'm trying to point out how well it holds us.)
We usually anchor in 8 - 15 feet, and virtually always deploy 100 - 125 feet of 3/8" chain.
So far (since March 1, all over the Bahamas), we've not had to anchor in anything other than sand, or maybe sand with a little grass on it.

foggysail said:

cannot trust my 80# Manson Supreme. It pulled in a 180 wind shift without resetting until I cleaned the mud from it with a boat hook.
DO NOT believe all the so called “new, modern anchor” BS hype.

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Odd.
Our high windage 155000 pounds of boat has just done its 720th consecutive night at anchor on a 150lb supreme.

We anchor in sand, hard sand, weed , soft mud all the way up to coffee rock.
Set is always the same, drop and let the wind, current and weight of boat do the set.
Many areas have strong tidal reversals several times a day.
There have been several storms mostly 40 to 50 but one with 80 knots.

Never budged an inch but have had difficulty getting it back at times due to it being dug half way to China.

markpierce said:

Ours is big enough for our purposes.

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Spoken like a Captain more likely to tout the girth of his oversized mast!

Simi 60 said:

Odd.
Our high windage 155000 pounds of boat has just done its 720th consecutive night at anchor on a 150lb supreme.

We anchor in sand, hard sand, weed , soft mud all the way up to coffee rock.
Set is always the same, drop and let the wind, current and weight of boat do the set.
Many areas have strong tidal reversals several times a day.
There have been several storms mostly 40 to 50 but one with 80 knots.

Never budged an inch but have had difficulty getting it back at times due to it being dug half way to China.

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I would like to see others who had their anchor slip and not reset share their experiences. Yes indeed, odd until it happens to you.

angus99 said:

........ I did want to ensure that the bitter end was secure and it is. It’s a knot of chain—maybe another 5 feet—that can’t pass through the windlass.

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I would splice a length of line ( a few feet) to the bitter end of the chain. Tie the line to a pad eye in the anchor locker. Just enough line so when the chain is paid out, you can cut the line from the deck if you ever need to drop the anchor in an emergency.

foggysail said:

I would like to see others who had their anchor slip and not reset share their experiences. Yes indeed, odd until it happens to you.

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I dragged anchor several times on a Fortress. I don't know if it was the Fortress or the Danforth style in general. They are difficult to completely bury. They always seem to have a bit of the tab or stabilizer bar exposed. In a reversing tide or current, the chain can foul the anchor. That is what happened to us.

I've since had a traditional Rocna, as well as a Manson Supreme. Right now we have a Rocna Vulcan. We've slept through tropical storms with no issues since moving to 'new age' anchor designs. The Rocna Vulcan is extremely similar in design to the Spade.

Shrew said:

I would splice a length of line ( a few feet) to the bitter end of the chain. Tie the line to a pad eye in the anchor locker. Just enough line so when the chain is paid out, you can cut the line from the deck if you ever need to drop the anchor in an emergency.

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Yes, this is good advice. Thanks.

Shrew said:

I dragged anchor several times on a Fortress. I don't know if it was the Fortress or the Danforth style in general. They are difficult to completely bury. They always seem to have a bit of the tab or stabilizer bar exposed. In a reversing tide or current, the chain can foul the anchor. That is what happened to us.

I've since had a traditional Rocna, as well as a Manson Supreme. Right now we have a Rocna Vulcan. We've slept through tropical storms with no issues since moving to 'new age' anchor designs. The Rocna Vulcan is extremely similar in design to the Spade.

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Since moving to power from sail, I have poor experience with a 44# Bruce, 2 heavy Deltas and my current Manson Supreme. My new FX55 Fortress rests comfortably in my bilge waiting. I long ago reached a strong opinion that there is no "ideal" anchor for all occasions.

Your above post shows that you have experiences with a Rocna, Fortress, Manson Supreme and the Rocna Vulcan. What motivated you to move from the new age anchors... traditional Rocna and the Manson Supreme to a Rocna Vulcan?

Shrew wrote;
“I dragged anchor several times on a Fortress. I don't know if it was the Fortress or the Danforth style in general. They are difficult to completely bury. They always seem to have a bit of the tab or stabilizer bar exposed. In a reversing tide or current, the chain can foul the anchor. That is what happened to us.”

I think all the “flipp’in shank” anchors rely on large fluke area burried shallow or small flukes depending on appendages on the aft end of the anchor to drag or push bottom substrate in bulldozer fashon. But these appendages, the stock and the shallow shank in anything but very soft bottoms usually prevent said anchors from deeply penetrating. Most to much of the time these types do indeed perform very well. The worlds highest holding power anchor is after all the Fortress by brand and a shank flipper by type. The very different Navy anchor (also a pivoting shank type) and it’s many family members hold ships around our planet and have for many years/decades.

Many or most recently designed anchors are designed to allow the chain/line to be dragged over the anchor without snagging it.

33 lb Rocna.
Boat is not a trawler, but an 822 Campion.
Thats about 30 feet.
Full of gas and food, a few people, almost 10,000 lbs.

foggysail said:

I would like to see others who had their anchor slip and not reset share their experiences. Yes indeed, odd until it happens to you.

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Okay, I'll confess. We had a 42 foot sailboat go high and dry, during a tropical storm where a 33 CQR and 40 feet of chain and 200 feet of line, drug and drug.

$5500 later, I now have an 85 pound Mantus and 250 feet of chain on our 42 motor yacht. I've also used Manson Supremes and Rocnas since that incident, and to me, the performance with all modern spades is comparable.

Live and learn.